Whiskies aged in first-fill Sherry butts are especially so, and those drawn entirely from such sherried stock are invariably known as “sherry bombs” for the potent flavors the malt whisky has derived from its time spent mingling with the sherry-soaked wood. The ‘Sherried’ character, therefore, is down to the Sherry itself, but also oxidation and the way in which the Sherry has interacted with and changed compounds in the oak. All of these then interact over time with the maturing spirit.

The Sherry and wood form a pincer movement that stamps out distillery character or any sense of identity in the distillate itself. A great Sherry-matured malt should possess a balance between distillery identity, fruitiness, earthiness and a lick of spice. Sherry bombs almost always eschew this tightrope balance in favor of heat, density and aggression of wood flavor.

GlenDronach matures its single malt whisky in superior quality sherry casks. Their distilling methods may be old-fashioned, but hey prefer to look on them as handcrafted techniques created through nearly 200 years of tradition. Nearly 70% of the flavor in whisky is derived from the cask it has been matured in. Wood’s important, which is why they adopt a ‘no compromise’ approach when choosing their world renowned sherry casks to enrich the whisky. Over the years of extended maturation, these carefully seasoned casks help create the unique richly sherried style that The GlenDronach is famous for. 

This superb richly sherried single malt is matured for at least 12 years in a combination of the finest sherry casks. Non-chill filtered, of natural color. If sherried single malts are your thing, then GlenDronach is a name you should get to know very well. The distillery is busily working on some incredible expressions, with sherried malt sitting at the core of many of them.

Cask Type: Spanish Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry. ABV: 43%. Color: Deep amber-red gold.

Nose
Rich cereals, struck match, raisin, cinnamon, caramelized sugar. Opens with some sweeter PX and lots of delicious raw ginger before becoming creamier with hazelnuts then sweet, creamy vanilla, with hints of ginger. Spiced mulled wine and pear.

Palate
Rich, creamy, silky-smooth. warm, rich oak and sherry sweetness, full mouth feel, raisins and soft fruits, peels, buttery. Pain au chocolate, a little marmalade on toast before becoming firmer and nuttier with spiced raisins.

Finish
Long, full and firm, slightly nutty, Spicy and dry finish.

Balance, Body & Feel
GlenDronach 12 year old Original is a sweet, creamy dram. Smooth” in an unspecific way. The PX casks add a good depth and supplement the Oloroso beautifully.